Students are more usually seen downing a pint than learning how to brew one. Not so at Heriot Watt University, however, where you can learn how to produce a pint, not just to pull one.

The four-year BSc course, which has been running at the university for two decades, aims to give future brewery managers a full understanding of the science and technology involved in the industry.

The entry requirements for the degree are a minimum of three Cs at A-level, one of which must be biology. Only around 10 students are accepted each year: the staff prefer to keep numbers down to give each undergraduate a proper hands-on education. Paul Hughes the director of the international centre for brewing and distilling at Heriot Watt, says the small intake means "every student feels that they are being treated as an individual ... everyone gets the academic attention needed to progress".

Men dominate the course, comprising over 80% of the student body, but some female graduates have gone on to join global breweries or establish their own microbreweries.

The modular programme is assessed by a combination of continuous assessment and examination. Much of the teaching is practical and laboratory-based; there is also an emphasis on transferable skills, such as computer literacy and oral and written communication.

Students progress from general biology and chemistry modules in their first year, through statistics and production management in their second, to mastering the processes specific to brewing and distilling in their third and final years. Fourth year research projects may be laboratory-based or include some aspect of business management.

Hughes says: "I believe there is a Heriot Watt graduate in every major brewing company in the world. Our alumni are spread far and wide." Indeed, brewing companies often donate money to the university to award outstanding undergraduates.

Graduates can expect their first jobs to be in production or laboratory positions. Large companies offer career progression through a departmental structure and multi-site operations, often in more than one country. Smaller industries are more likely to look for the "traditional brewer" who would be able to cover all aspects of the business.

Heriot Watt University also runs a brewing and distilling MSc and diploma - the only courses of their kind in the UK and well regarded among industrialists and academics.